Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-06

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

Some people believe that allowing children to make their own choices on everyday matters (such as food, clothes and entertainment) is likely to result in a society of individuals who only think about their own wishes. Other people believe that it is important for children to make decisions about matters that affect them.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Some people consider that permitting children to make their own choices on daily matters may result in a society of individuals who only think themselves, while others argue that it is essential for them to make decisions. Although both perspectives have some merit, I believe that allowing children to make decisions about their daily matter is vital mainly because it helps them to become more confident and independent.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people think that allowing children to make choices is not a great approach. One significant reason is that children become selfish and do not consider their parents choice in any matter of life. This is because they do not need to take permission for many things, which may make them rebel and violent. For example, a child who makes decisions by himself from the childhood, may not able to differentiate between beneficial and detrimental things. Therefore, some control is essential for chilren while making choices.

On the other hand, others argue that allowing children to make decisions is very important. One compelling reason is that this helps children to become independent in their upcoming life. This is particularly important because an independent child is likely to grow more both financially and professionally. For instance, children who make their decision from early ages are more confident and determined in the schools and universities. Consequently, permitting the younger generation to make their choices on everyday matters plays a significant role in their personality development.

In conclusion, although some people believe that allowing children to decide about different things by themselves makes them selfish, others argue that it is vital for them. After considering both perspectives, I firmly believe that allowing children to make their choices on daily basis is essential to make them confident.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by discussing both views on children making everyday choices and presenting a clear personal opinion. The student meets the word count requirement effortlessly, with nine words copied directly from the prompt discounted as expected. Relevant ideas are presented, such as the counter-argument regarding selfishness and the supporting argument concerning independence. However, some ideas are under-developed rather than fully extended. For instance, the claim that children might become violent or rebel is introduced without sufficient explanation or a deeply explored example. To reach a higher band, the student needs to fully develop every supporting argument with extended reasoning and richer, more specific examples rather than relying on generalised assertions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear, logical progression throughout. The response is appropriately paragraphed, featuring a clear introduction, separate body paragraphs for each view, and a distinct conclusion. Cohesive devices are employed to signal transitions between ideas, such as 'On the one hand', 'On the other hand', and 'In conclusion'. However, cohesion can sometimes feel mechanical or slightly repetitive, and referencing is occasionally less clear than it could be, such as the abrupt shifts between sentences in the second body paragraph. To achieve a higher band, the student should integrate a wider variety of cohesive markers more smoothly and ensure that referencing relationships between sentences are always precise and natural.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, demonstrating sufficient range to communicate straightforward ideas about child-rearing and independence. The student attempts to use less common vocabulary, such as 'detrimental', 'upcoming life', and 'personality development', but some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and word form are present. Examples include writing 'think themselves' instead of 'think only of themselves', 'daily matter' instead of 'daily matters', and 'from the childhood'. There are also minor awkward phrasings like 'grow more both financially and professionally'. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response firmly at this level. To move up, the student must expand their range of less common lexical items and demonstrate greater precision in collocations and word forms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over structures such as conditional and concessive clauses with 'Although both perspectives have some merit, I believe...' and 'This is because they do not need...'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('in the schools and universities'), preposition issues ('from early ages'), and occasional subject-verb agreement slips ('chilren'). Fortunately, these errors rarely impede communication, and the majority of simple structures remain accurate. To attain a higher band, the writer should increase the frequency of error-free complex sentences and refine their command over articles, plurals, and prepositions within intricate grammatical patterns.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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